Music inspired by the Triskel

Lunchtime on Saturday will see a unique concert at Triskel Christchurch in Cork as part of the city’s choral festival.

Teampall Fuaime (‘sound temple’) is the result of an eight-month project between composer Ian Wilson and the Cork Chamber Choir, in which voice and location are inextricably bound up.

Belfast-born Wilson began composing while still at university and to date has written nearly 150 works, including chamber operas, concertos and multi-media pieces. A man who clearly likes to explore all aspects of music, he has nevertheless broken new ground with Teampall Fuaime.

“Every time I’ve visited Triskel Christchurch I’ve thought it was a great space and how wonderful it would be to do something special attached to its unique atmosphere.”

He knew that voices would be the best way to approach such an undertaking — churches, after all, are designed for the uplifting of human voice in song, in prayer, in chant. Hearing about the Cork Chamber Choir he went along to one of their meetings and introduced himself and his idea. “The idea really took fire. The Arts Council of Ireland came through with funding via its artist in the community scheme managed by CREATE, and we were off!”

Members of the choir firstly provided original texts inspired by spending time in the old church, explains Wilson. Then, with the composer’s encouragement, they also provided melodic fragments for parts of those texts. These became the basis for the composer’s large-scale choral work which, as well as exploring ideas specific to the architecture and character of Triskel Christchurch, also examines ideas evoked and provoked by that space, including faith, society, war and daily life.

The result is a work that speaks broadly of the human experience, very much shaped by the singers and the space they will sing in.

“The nice aspect is that all the texts have come from the choir themselves. I wanted them to wander around and get a sense of the place and tell me what it made them think of. Most of them came up with poems long or short fragments, and they’re all great. We have the idea of coming from outside to inside, leaving things behind, the stained glass windows, even the pews, what is like physically to be in that space, spiritual issues, thoughts relating to the place of Christchurch in Cork historically, so there is quite a gamut of responses which is what I was hoping for.”

Part of the work’s concept is to fully employ the building and the choir sings in different parts of the space at different times.

Having the voices singing from different parts means, says Wilson, that we will actually hear the space itself. “There are so many nooks and crannies in there and we will have the audience feel the shifting acoustics. It’s being used in all its potential.”

A wonderful idea indeed, and one which will bring the concept of site-specific performance to an entirely new level. What, one wonders, will this magnificent old church think of the whole thing? Ian Wilson laughs. “I like to think its walls will resonate happily.”

* Teampall Fuaime, Triskel Christchurch, Saturday, 1.10pm. www.corkchoral.ie